By Kingston Magare 5/5/2025
Senate President Godswill Akpabio is under pressure to resign from the Nigerian Senate, following the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban for electoral fraud.
Prof. Ogban was found guilty of falsifying election results of the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial 2019 election to benefit the All-Progressives Congress and Senator Akpabio by a lower Court. The sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar last week Wednesday.
To this end over 50 Civil Society Organisations including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA)have called on Senator Akpabio to resign from the National Assembly with immediate effect.
“This ruling raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of Senator Akpabio’s mandate,” the CSOs said Monday in a joint statement.
“It is deeply troubling that the election which brought him to the Senate has now been judicially confirmed to have been manipulated. In any democratic society, such a development demands immediate accountability and responsible leadership.
“This is not just about one individual. It is about restoring public trust in our electoral process. Allowing the Senate President to remain in office under such serious ethical questions undermines democratic values and sends a dangerous signal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The judiciary has done its part. It is now up to the political leadership to rise to the occasion and show Nigerians and the world that no one is above the law, not even the Senate President.” the CSOs concluded.
Senator Akpabio...